WEBVTT COULD MAKE THEM FAMOUS. THEO: TINKERING AROUND IN HIS BOYDS GARAGE CREATING THINGS IS NOTHING NEW FOR DAVID MCCUTHON BUT THE CHANCE TO HAVE A PRODUCT LICENSED AND MASS PRODUCED FOR FREE IS LIKE WINNING THE LOTTERY. >> YOU HAVE THE WHOLE PATENING PROCESS WHICH IS EXPENSIVE, A LOT OF THINGS ARE MADE OVERSEAS. IT’S ACTUALLY CHEAPER TO MAKE THINGS OVERSEAS BUT YOU DO HAVE TO GO OVER AND SECURE AT THE FACTORIES AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE DOING THINGS PROPERLY SO THAT’S EXPENSIVE AND GETTING AND -- THE IDEA IN THE STORE, THAT IS THE SECOND PART. THEO: BUT MCCUTHEON AND HIS NEIGHBOR ERIK PHELPS AND THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS WERE CHOSEN TO BE ON THE PBS REALITY SHOW ’MAKE 48’. DURING SEASON TWO, FILMED LAST OCTOBER, 12 TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY COMPETED TO DESIGN AND CREATE AN OUTDOOR PRODUCT APPEALING TO A MASS MARKET. THEY HAD JUST 48 HOURS. THEY GOT HELP FROM WELDERS, TOOL AND 3-D LASER TECHNICIANS, BUT SAY IT WAS STILL CHALLENGING. >> YOUR MIND JUST KIND OF STARTS GOING AND YOU START THINKING OF SO MANY THINGS BUT LUCKILY WE WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS IT AND HONE IT DOWN TO ONE IDEA THAT WE THOUGHT WOULD WORK FOR THE COMPETITION. THEO: THEY CREATED THE WEDGY, A SEATING AND SUNSHADE SOLUTION THAT’S LIGHTWEIGHT AND EASY TO MANAGE. THE TOP 3 TEAMS WILL GET A PRODUCT LICENSING DEAL WITH HANDI CAMPBELL WITH 5% OF THE ROYALTIES. >> THE BIG DEAL IS THE EXPERIENCE AND THE WINNING IS SECONDARY. EVEN IF YOU WIN IT’S STILL A BID LONG ROAD TO GET THE PRODUCT TO MARKET. THAT IS WHAT THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON IS GOING TO BE, THE WINNING PRODUCTS AND HOW THEY GO FROM BEING A PRODUCT PROTOYTPE TO GETTING IT READY FOR SOMETHING THAT CAN SEL THEO: AND YOU CAN FIND OUT IF THIS TEAM WINS THE MAKE 48 COMPETITION LATER THIS WEEKON THE PBS

Twelve teams of inventors took their skills to a Public Broadcasting Service's reality show and one of the top teams is from Maryland.Tinkering around in his Boyds garage creating things is nothing new for David McCutheon, but the chance to have a product licensed and mass-produced for free is like winning the lottery."You have the whole patenting process, which is expensive; a lot of things are made overseas. It's actually cheaper to make things overseas, but you do have to go over and secure the factories and make sure they are doing things properly, so that's expensive. And getting your idea in the store, that's the second part," McCutheon said.But McCutheon and his neighbor, Erik Phelps, and their two daughters were chosen to be on the PBS reality show "Make 48."During season two, filmed last October, 12 teams from across the country competed to design and create an outdoor product appealing to a mass market in just 48 hours. They got help from welders and tool and 3D-laser technicians, but they said it was still challenging."Your mind just kind of starts going, and you start thinking of so many things, but luckily we were able to discuss it and hone it down to one idea that we thought would work for the competition," said his daughter Brynn McCutheon said.They created the Wedgy, which is a lightweight, easy-to-manage seating and sunshade solution.The top three teams will get a product licensing deal with Handi Campbell with 5 percent of the royalties."The big deal is the experience and the winning is secondary. Even if you win, it's still a bid ordeal to get the product to marketing. That's what the second half of the season is going to be: the winning products and how they go from being a product prototype to getting it ready for something that can sell," McCutheon said.You can find out if this team wins the "Make 48" competition later this week on the PBS website. ​

BOYDS, Md. —

Twelve teams of inventors took their skills to a Public Broadcasting Service's reality show and one of the top teams is from Maryland.

Tinkering around in his Boyds garage creating things is nothing new for David McCutheon, but the chance to have a product licensed and mass-produced for free is like winning the lottery.

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"You have the whole patenting process, which is expensive; a lot of things are made overseas. It's actually cheaper to make things overseas, but you do have to go over and secure the factories and make sure they are doing things properly, so that's expensive. And getting your idea in the store, that's the second part," McCutheon said.

But McCutheon and his neighbor, Erik Phelps, and their two daughters were chosen to be on the PBS reality show "Make 48."

During season two, filmed last October, 12 teams from across the country competed to design and create an outdoor product appealing to a mass market in just 48 hours. They got help from welders and tool and 3D-laser technicians, but they said it was still challenging.

"Your mind just kind of starts going, and you start thinking of so many things, but luckily we were able to discuss it and hone it down to one idea that we thought would work for the competition," said his daughter Brynn McCutheon said.

They created the Wedgy, which is a lightweight, easy-to-manage seating and sunshade solution.

The top three teams will get a product licensing deal with Handi Campbell with 5 percent of the royalties.

"The big deal is the experience and the winning is secondary. Even if you win, it's still a bid ordeal to get the product to marketing. That's what the second half of the season is going to be: the winning products and how they go from being a product prototype to getting it ready for something that can sell," McCutheon said.